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exploring taste—santa margherita gruppo vinicolo

o start exploring Aarhus, head north from the Lille Torv – a treasure trove of Scandinavian design and home
station. You will find yourself on a pedestrian furnishing. Opposite it is Magasin du Nord, another depart-
street that stretches for a kilometer and ends up ment store. Better still, head down Badstuegade, which takes
T in the shadow of the city’s majestic cathedral. The you into the Latin Quarter, a cluster of cobbled streets packed
street – known locally as Strøget (it sounds like “stroll”, which is with shops and cafés. This is the city’s cosiest neighborhood –
what most people do, unless they are scurrying out of the rain) which in Denmark, where cosiness is practically an Olympic
– is home to a Scandinavian department store named Salling, sport, makes it the city’s best neighborhood.
as well as Danish brands such as fashion label Samsø ø Samsø On Badstuegade itself, head to Lertøj for contemporary ceram-
and silversmith Georg Jensen. Look out, too, for the HAY store ics. Or add to your vinyl collection at Badstuerock, now in its
on Rosenkrantzgade, a temple of modern Danish design. If you fifth decade. And don’t miss Designer Zoo, which represents
are feeling peckish, drop in at the new Aarhus Central Food 100 Danish artisans, from jewelry designers to furniture mak-
Hall, which offers a range of street food, (think: Thai curries, ers. Look out for the miniature paper replicas of buildings and
Vietnamese banh mi, and sushi). landscapes, made by Taiwanese industrial design student Li-Yu
Strøget slices straight through the center of the city. Look left at Lin. They are exquisite pieces of design, and you can see why
Sønder Allé and you should catch a glimpse of the Technicolor LEGO snapped her up even before she had graduated.
roof of the city’s art museum, ARoS (more on that later). Look From the Latin Quarter, head east towards the redeveloped
right and you will spot the harbor district – much of which is harbor district known as Aarhus Ø. Its spectacular contem-
being redeveloped – and beyond that the sea. Aarhus lies on the porary architecture that has sprung up on the site of a disused
east coast of the Jutland peninsula, and many years ago its dark, container terminal provides a striking counterpoint to the
wine-colored waters were a graveyard for warring Vikings. In quaint medievalism of the Latin Quarter. The most eye-catch-
the basement of a branch of Nordea bank at St. Clements Torv, ing edifice is the Iceberg, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group.
you can see a display of Viking artefacts unearthed when the A private residential building, it was completed in 2013 and
site was excavated in the 1960s. They include 1,000-year-old won an International Architecture Award in 2016.
tools and pottery, plus a Viking skeleton. Further south is the city’s new public library, DOKK1 (the
Nearby is Aarhus Cathedral. Almost 100m tall, it is Denmark’s name is a pun: pronounced “dock it”, it is a nod to the building’s
largest cathedral and, as you walk around this medieval city, waterfront location). Admire the quirky parking system – you
you will often catch sight of its spire peeking above the roof- leave your car in a space, which automatically descends into the
tops. Pop inside to see restored fourteenth to sixteenth century ground and come back up when you leave. Then head inside
frescoes. Opposite the cathedral, however, is an excellent exam- and marvel at the interior. If you are lucky, you will hear the
ple of Danish architect Hack Kampmann’s work – the Aarhus Gong – a tubular bell that sounds whenever a baby is born in
Theatre. Look out for the gargoyles on the facade of this impres- the city (apparently it rings at least three times a day).
sive building, which dates back to 1900. Retrace your steps to the city center and head along Vestergade
Heading west into Store Torv, you will pass the Royal Copen- – passing Our Lady’s Church, where you can enjoy a restorative
hagen concept store – an opportunity to admire the 241-year- break in one of the city’s most beautiful spaces. Heading south
old hand-painted porcelain dinnerware they produce. For con- you can find Møllestien, perhaps the prettiest street in Aarhus.
temporary ceramics and tableware, head to Illums Bolighus, in Roses and hollyhocks hug pastel-colored, half-timbered houses

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